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Thread: grub loader detects Windows 7 but would not boot it

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
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    13

    grub loader detects Windows 7 but would not boot it

    I have 2 HDDS.

    1: SSD 240GB on which Windows 7 is installed
    2: HDD 1TB for storage that I shrinked and created a separate 100GB partition from with swap.

    I installed BackBox 4 on the 100GB parition while leaving the SSD and windows intact.

    I installed BB's bootloader on Windows 7 recovery partition (I don't know if that was the correct choice)

    Now on the boot menu, I get "Windows 7" option but when I select it, it just reloads the boot menu and asks me to choose again.
    It won't let me into Windows.

    /dev/sda4/: BackBox 4
    /dev/sda3/: Swap
    /dev/sda2/ Storage
    -
    /dev/sdb1/: Windows

    I edit grub.cfg and replaced
    Code:
    menuentry 'Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sda1)' --class windows -
    With /dev/sdb1/ and ran --sudo update-grub and restarted.

    Still the same error.

    I also tried adjusting the "hd0" to whatever number my HD has.

    I tried from 0 to 3, none worked.

    Code:
    menuentry 'Windows 7 (loader) (on /dev/sdb1)' --class windows --class os $menuentry_id_option 'osprober-chain-0886FE9886FE858A' {
            insmod part_msdos
            insmod ntfs
            set root='hd0,msdos1'
            if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
              search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos1 --hint-efi=hd0,msdos1 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos1  0886FE9886FE858A
            else
              search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 0886FE9886FE858A
            fi
            parttool ${root} hidden-
            chainloader +1
    }
    On windows partition it says "hd0.msdos1" while on the rest it says "msdos4"
    Is it somehow related?

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Beans
    7,918

    Re: grub loader detects Windows 7 but would not boot it

    I installed BB's bootloader on Windows 7 recovery partition (I don't know if that was the correct choice)
    Nope, definitely not. You might have overwritten some necessary information on that partition.
    Use a terminal in Backbox and run this command as root user: fdisk -l(Lower case Letter L in the command) If that doesn't produce any results run: sudo fdisk -l
    Post that output here as well as the output of: blkid or if that doesn't work: sudo blkid
    That will give us some idea of which partitions are windows as well as their uuid.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Beans
    13

    Re: grub loader detects Windows 7 but would not boot it

    This is the output of "fdisk -l"

    Code:
    root@Base:/# fdisk -l
    
    Disk /dev/sda: 2000.4 GB, 2000398934016 bytes
    255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 243201 cylinders, total 3907029168 sectors
    Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
    Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 4096 bytes
    I/O size (minimum/optimal): 4096 bytes / 4096 bytes
    Disk identifier: 0x0e092a46
    
       Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
    /dev/sda1   *        2048      206847      102400    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
    /dev/sda2          206848  3679698943  1839746048    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
    /dev/sda3      3679700990  3698130678     9214844+   f  W95 Ext'd (LBA)
    Partition 3 does not start on physical sector boundary.
    /dev/sda4      3698130944  3907025475   104447266   83  Linux
    /dev/sda5      3679700992  3698130678     9214843+  82  Linux swap / Solaris
    
    Disk /dev/sdb: 240.1 GB, 240057409536 bytes
    255 heads, 63 sectors/track, 29185 cylinders, total 468862128 sectors
    Units = sectors of 1 * 512 = 512 bytes
    Sector size (logical/physical): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
    I/O size (minimum/optimal): 512 bytes / 512 bytes
    Disk identifier: 0x6a33ae40
    
       Device Boot      Start         End      Blocks   Id  System
    /dev/sdb1            2048   468858879   234428416    7  HPFS/NTFS/exFAT
    And this is the output of "blkid"
    Code:
    root@Base:/# blkid
    /dev/sda1: LABEL="System Reserved" UUID="0886FE9886FE858A" TYPE="ntfs" 
    /dev/sda2: UUID="948CA6D08CA6AC64" TYPE="ntfs" 
    /dev/sda4: UUID="3b8e1432-345b-4166-af34-90c550313950" TYPE="ext4" 
    /dev/sdb1: LABEL="Windows" UUID="7C626A1E6269DE00" TYPE="ntfs"

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    SW Forida
    Beans
    Hidden!
    Distro
    Kubuntu

    Re: grub loader detects Windows 7 but would not boot it

    Moved to Other OS since not Ubuntu.

    With two drives and installs on separate drives, you should have Windows boot loader on SSD and grub2's boot loader on the MBR of your hard drive.
    You never install grub2's boot loader to a NTFS partition. Windows has essential boot info in the partition boot sector. Your probably cannot boot into recovery partition. But if you made the recovery set of DVDs already as recommended as soon as you start computer, then it does not matter. If not you may be able to use testdisk to restore a backup of the partition boot sector.
    UEFI boot install & repair info - Regularly Updated :
    https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2147295
    Intro to Discourse: https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/welco...and-help/49951

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Aug 2013
    Beans
    13

    Re: grub loader detects Windows 7 but would not boot it

    Ok, so I understand there's no way to fix this.

    At this point, I have made a backup of everything and I do not mind formatting and reinstalling Windows 7.
    I just need it to be able to run Photoshop and Premiere.

    My concern is Windows will overwrite ubuntu's grub loader and would not detected BackBox.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2009
    Location
    SW Forida
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    Kubuntu

    Re: grub loader detects Windows 7 but would not boot it

    If you want to be sure, you can always disconnect one drive and do an install to it. Then only connect the other drive and do an install to it.
    Grub2 has os-prober which runs with sudo update-grub which when both drives are plugged in should find Windows.
    But with the version you use, I do not know if all the software is there, with Ubuntu it rarely is an issue.
    UEFI boot install & repair info - Regularly Updated :
    https://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2147295
    Intro to Discourse: https://discourse.ubuntu.com/t/welco...and-help/49951

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Location
    London, England
    Beans
    Hidden!
    Distro
    Ubuntu Development Release

    Re: grub loader detects Windows 7 but would not boot it

    For information: with Grub

    hd0 = first hard disk. What Linux would call sda.
    msdos1 = first partition.
    msdos4 = fourth partition.

    So, hd0,msdos1 = sda1 and hd0,msdos4 = sda4. Grub uses a different naming system to Linux.

    Regards
    It is a machine. It is more stupid than we are. It will not stop us from doing stupid things.
    Ubuntu user #33,200. Linux user #530,530


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